Spoiled Eldest Miss x Two-faced Madman

CHAPTER 126 — Extra 1: “Love at First Sight.”

　　That was how An Jiu and Pei Ji met, quietly and without anyone knowing.

　　They didn't talk much that day in the break room. Mr. Pei, ever the gentleman, seemed to realize he had lost his composure a little. He simply asked for her contact information.

　　Since he held back, An Jiu also pretended not to notice. She poured her coffee and left.

　　Later that day after work, she bumped into An Qing in the hallway, and they boarded the elevator together. She brought up Mr. Pei offhandedly.

　　From An Qing, she learned that Pei Ji had only stopped by Bincheng briefly. He had other appointments and went straight to the airport for an international flight not long after lunch.

　　Based on the timing, he probably left right after saying goodbye to her in the break room.

　　Otherwise, with someone of Pei Ji's status, why would he be eating in the An Corporation cafeteria?

　　An Qing had originally booked a table at a high-end restaurant. If Mr. Pei hadn’t been in such a hurry, An Jiu wouldn’t have encountered him at all.

　　While talking, An Qing’s tone carried a barely hidden pride. It was as if managing to have a meal with Mr. Pei was something incredibly impressive. The fact that An Jiu happened to meet him, even just once, seemed to elevate her by association.

　　Faced with An Qing’s subtle bragging, An Jiu smiled calmly and said, “Third Uncle really has an impressive network, to know someone like Mr. Pei.”

　　An Qing, pleased by the flattery, glanced at her with a grin. “Xiao Jiu, you’re still young and inexperienced. Once you get older, you’ll meet more people. Networking takes time and effort.”

　　Then came a string of so-called elder wisdom. It sounded kind on the surface, but underneath it was a warning.

　　An Jiu really was young. She had just turned twenty this year. She had started school early, skipped grades, and ended up graduating far ahead of others. Her cousin An Yue, who was two years older, was still in university, while An Jiu was already managing her own department at the company. It was enough to make people envious.

　　She was young, but she had real ability. That alone made the older generation like An Qing feel pressured. That was why he kept trying to warn her, openly and subtly, telling her to ‘respect her elders.’

　　“Yes, you’re right, Third Uncle. I hope you’ll introduce more people like that to me in the future. After all, we’re family.”

　　An Jiu brushed her hair back and smiled gently.

　　She always acted obedient on the surface when facing these warnings. After all, the old master was still around. They wouldn’t dare cross the line, so all they could do was talk behind her back. She had her own way of handling it.

　　“You…” An Qing was caught off guard by her words. But facing the girl’s bright, innocent smile, he couldn’t lash out. Otherwise, the old master would call him that night and give him an earful.

　　He paused for a second. Just then, the elevator arrived at the underground parking lot, and he quickly turned and left. “We’ll talk later.”

　　Watching him leave in such a hurry, An Jiu smiled but said nothing.

　　Zheng Lan had been by An Jiu’s side the whole time, watching the exchange from start to finish. She couldn’t help but laugh. “Serves him right for showing off in front of you. I doubt he’ll brag about his connections again anytime soon.”

　　An Jiu didn’t take it seriously and shook her head. “Come on, get in the car. I’ll give you a ride.”

　　Zheng Lan lived nearby, so An Jiu usually dropped her off after work.

　　Once they were in the car, Zheng Lan picked the topic back up. “If An Qing really manages to land a deal with Fengren Pharmaceuticals, that’d be huge.”

　　Just then, An Jiu’s phone buzzed in her lap with a WeChat message. She looked down and opened it, replying casually, “He won’t.”

　　Zheng Lan glanced over. “Won’t what?”

　　An Jiu opened the message. It was from the person she had just added on WeChat earlier that day.

　　Pei Ji: Done with work?

　　When she added him, An Jiu noticed his WeChat name was “Fei Yi.” He didn’t hide it at all, probably thinking she wouldn’t remember anything.

　　To this day, An Jiu still didn’t know why Pei Ji had memories of that world too.

　　Although he hadn’t said a word, the way he looked at her in the break room, like he had something to say but held back, already gave away a lot.

　　An Jiu casually tapped her keyboard and replied to him.

　　An Jiu: I’m off work now. Third Uncle said you already left Bincheng?

　　She also answered Zheng Lan’s question, “It’s not going to work out. If it was going to happen, it would’ve happened already. No way it’d drag on this long. And Pei Ji… he’s only here as a stopover. If they were really discussing a partnership, this would be way too informal. Besides, Third Uncle’s skills are obvious. The moment he starts working, it’s all just for show. Anyone can find out what he’s really capable of with a bit of digging. If Fengren Pharmaceuticals still decides to work with him, I’d seriously question their judgment.”

　　Hearing that familiar name slip off her tongue, An Jiu paused for a moment. A strange feeling passed through her.

　　It wasn’t that she was looking down on An Qing, it’s just that after all these years, his abilities were plain to see.

　　Her father’s generation had three siblings. The eldest was her aunt, her father was the second, and the youngest son was An Qing.

　　At first, her father was groomed as the heir, but they eventually realized he was a lost cause. He had no business sense at all, just a head full of romantic fantasies. Her aunt used to be hopelessly in love too. She would go life or death over a man, but that ended in a failed marriage. Now she’s divorced with a son. That cousin of hers is actually quite capable, very talented in fact, but he has a different surname so the old man doesn’t like him.

　　As for Third Uncle An Qing, he’s only ever been interested in food, fun, and messing around. His kids are all shallow and can’t handle anything serious.

　　With no qualified heir in that generation, the old man started putting all his focus on grooming An Jiu.

　　He was still healthy and strong, and if he kept going for a few more years while An Jiu got more experience, then unless something unexpected happened, she was pretty much guaranteed to take over the An family. It was practically set in stone.

　　That’s why she could stay so calm whenever dealing with people like An Qing.

　　They were just like grasshoppers after autumn — not much life left in them.

　　Her phone buzzed again. A few more replies came in instantly.

　　Pei Ji: Yeah, just landed in Country M. I’m heading to a research institute. We’ve developed a new drug and it’s currently in testing. I’m going to check it out.

　　Pei Ji: [Image]

　　An Jiu tapped on the photo. It was a shot of the airport. He had literally just gotten off the plane, still hadn’t passed through immigration.

　　And he messaged her the moment he landed?

　　She pressed her lips together, a bit amused. Did he even realize how obvious he was being?

　　Zheng Lan’s voice was still ringing in her ears. “That may be true, but they do have a wide network. The Pei family is super mysterious, never appears in public. Even An Qing managed to get in touch with them. Why don’t you try approaching them too?”

　　An Jiu glanced up slightly and gave her a lazy smile. “You think I need to go chasing after them like that?”

　　Zheng Lan was stunned for a moment.

　　The car was pulling out of the underground garage. Fluorescent lights flickered past the roof overhead, casting fragmented beams of light through the glass. They danced across the girl's face, alternating between light and shadow.

　　She looked incredibly young. Her skin was so fair and dewy it seemed like you could squeeze water out of it. Soft, slightly wavy chestnut hair rested on her shoulders. Her eyelashes were long, her skin porcelain-like, her lips naturally red. A light touch of makeup highlighted her features, and her entire face radiated the elegance of a wealthy heiress.

　　She was, quite frankly, stunning.

　　But it wasn’t just about looks. Having followed her for half a year now, Zheng Lan knew better than anyone what this young lady was capable of.

　　She suddenly smiled. “You're right. With your skills, you really don’t need to.”

　　With everything Miss An could do, give her a few more years and people would be lining up to curry favor with her. Why would she need to chase after anyone?

　　But An Jiu shook her head. “It’s not about ability.”

　　Zheng Lan was confused. “Then what is it?”

　　An Jiu didn’t answer. Her eyes lowered slightly as she tapped her phone screen with a gold-pink manicured fingertip.

　　Of course it was because someone was eager to approach her first.

　　An Jiu: You and my third uncle are close?

　　Even though she didn’t really care, she still wanted to know.

　　Pei Ji: Not really. Met him once at a banquet. We have a bit of a connection.

　　An Jiu got the idea and didn’t continue the topic.

　　She didn’t feel like chatting anymore. After a while, when he didn’t get a reply, another message popped up.

　　Pei Ji: Do you not get along with him? If that’s the case, I won’t meet with him again.

　　An Jiu glanced at the message and couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh.

　　An Jiu: How did you know I don’t get along with him?

　　Pei Ji: …

　　After a while, just when An Jiu thought he wouldn’t reply, her phone buzzed again.

　　Pei Ji: I just asked someone to look into your family.

　　Pei Ji: If you mind, I won’t do it again.

　　Pei Ji: I’m sorry. I didn’t want to hide it from you. I just... wanted to get to know you better.

　　An Jiu couldn’t hold back anymore. She could almost picture him standing in an airport, making calls to dig up info on the An family while nervously texting her.

　　What was going on? That was unexpectedly kind of cute.

　　Or maybe… the consequences of hiding something in the past were too serious, and now it’s left a deep psychological scar?

　　An Jiu: Mr. Pei, have you never dated a girl before?

　　Pei Ji: …

　　Pei Ji: Never.

　　An Jiu: Never what?

　　Pei Ji: Never asked a girl for her contact info. Never dated, either.

　　An Jiu: So I’m the first? What an honor.

　　Pei Ji: No. I’m the one who’s honored.

　　An Jiu: Honored for what?

　　Pei Ji: Honored to have met you.

　　An Jiu raised her brow slightly. This guy really knew how to talk. If she didn’t know the full story and wasn’t certain he wasn’t trying to mess with her, she might’ve mistaken him for some smooth-talking playboy with tons of experience.

　　Still, her lips curved into an amused smile. She leaned back and replied, unhurriedly, “You know, chatting with me like this could seriously give someone the wrong idea.”

　　Pei Ji: What kind of wrong idea?

　　An Jiu: Like… you fell for me at first sight.

　　Pei Ji: And what if that’s not a misunderstanding?

　　An Jiu: Mr. Pei, do you even realize what you’re saying?

　　There was no reply for a while. An Jiu waited, thinking maybe he was regretting being too forward. But then her phone suddenly started buzzing nonstop. It was a call from Pei Ji on WeChat.

　　She blinked, a little surprised, and picked up under Zheng Lan’s curious gaze, lifting the phone to her ear.

　　At first, all she could hear was some faint background noise on his end.

　　An Jiu called out softly, “Hello?”

　　A low voice came through.

　　“Miss An.”

　　A deep male voice came through, especially clear despite the noisy background, like a small hammer tapping lightly against her heart.

　　He seemed to swallow, maybe from nerves, and his voice grew even lower and rougher.

　　“I know it’s really bold and careless of me to say this now. It might make you question my character. But like I said, I don’t want to lie to you, and I don’t want to hide how I feel.”

　　If it weren’t for his schedule, if he hadn’t already landed in a foreign country, he probably wouldn’t have been able to stop himself from doing something reckless in front of her.

　　Amid the surging crowd, he stood tall beneath the clear domed ceiling. Countless people passed by, and anyone could see his handsome face and the redness in his dark eyes.

　　Still, his voice stayed steady and sincere, without the slightest hesitation.

　　“Please don’t doubt it. I really did fall for you at first sight.”

　　A plane took off, its deafening roar sweeping through the air, but his quiet plea wasn’t drowned out. It crossed oceans and mountains and reached her ears.

　　“Please, let me pursue you. Will you allow me to.”

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